Most adjustable straps use a slider mechanism or device to enable the wearer to alter the length of the strap. Exemplary uses of slider mechanisms include both pet collars and bags including backpacks, messenger bags, and the like. The current art instructs a specific slider device to adjust the strap and separate connectors for attaching accessories. For example, to attach an identity tag, a dog collar uses a D-ring at a separating mounting point from the slider. And, similarly, a backpack or messenger bag provides a separate short, non-adjustable strap to attach a luggage tag or L.E.D. light, for example.
So, while slider mechanisms are commonly used in applications where multiple hardware pieces or accessories are desired, the current art instructs providing separate hardware for each function. It is contemplated, therefore, that it would be beneficial to provide multiple functions in one piece of hardware. Further, such an innovation may open the possibility of other applications for accessories that are not contemplated in the current art. In yet other applications, adding an additional loop might be beneficial, but not practical due to space or cost requirements. Thus, the ability to combine two functions into one hardware piece would be advantageous.
For example, dog collars typically use a slider mechanism, but also a D-ring to attach the lead and sometimes a second D-ring to attach the Identity Tags. And, with over 78 million owned dogs and 86.4 million owned cats in the United States, according to a “National Pet Owners Survey” conducted by the American Pet Products Association in December 2011, the need for suitable collars is ever-increasing.
There are a myriad of pet collars on the market and generally known in the art. A common type of collar includes a slider device that enables the overall length of the collar to be adjusted. The majority of such slider devices include a generally rectilinear and planar configuration having three parallel members interconnected by perpendicular bars to form a rectangular or square shape. The three parallel members consist of an intermediate member about half-way between two outside parallel members. One end of a collar strap attaches to the center or intermediate member and a second end of the collar strap slides under the first outside parallel member, then over the intermediate member and then under the second outside member—this is well understood in the art.
Representative of slider technology, U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,844 issued on Sep. 9, 1997 to Greene illustrates how a strap works in conjunction with a typical known slider device.
This common slider is used on both dog and cat collars. But, such use is not limited to cat and dog collars as it can be easily applied to many different uses. However, as illustrative of the use of a slider, a typical dog collar includes a clasp or buckle mechanism at one end of the collar and a mating feature at the second end. Typically, a D-ring locates at an intermediate portion of the strap. The D-ring, in the conventional dog collar, provides a coupling point for a leash to be releasable connected to the collar. And, the D-ring often serves as a mounting device for identification tags.
One common problem with collars having one D-ring for both coupling the leash to the collar and simultaneously to act as a mounting point for the animal's identification tags, which may include a dog-license tag, a separate owner's name tag, yet another dog's name tag, and possibly a medical alert tag, is that the combined use of the leash on that same D-ring results in damage to the various tags. This can make the tags unreadable. Further, many tags are coupled to the D-ring by means of a split ring. This split ring can be entangled in the clasp end of the leash when an owner mistakenly couples the leash to the split ring. And, because the split ring lacks the same strength of the D-ring, the dog can easily escape from the leash by pulling, which results in the split ring failing and the dog getting loose. This can be very dangerous to the dog and may frighten other people.
Other collar designs include two D-rings located at two discrete points along the length of the collar strap—one for coupling the leash to the collar and a second D-ring for attaching the I.D. tags. The two D-ring collar solves a common problem for many pet-owners, namely providing a first ring for a leash and a second ring for the i.d. tag, thus ensuring that the leash does not become entangled with the i.d. tag or otherwise damaging the i.d. tag. One problem with traditional collars having a single D-ring for the combined use of attaching both the i.d. tag and the leash is that the weight of the id tags causes the collar to rotate under the neck of the dog. This makes coupling the leash to that d-ring more difficult than is necessary.
One attempt to solve this particular problem includes the “Pet Leash Assemblies, Pet Collar Assemblies, and Methods of Using the Same,” as disclosed by Moeller in United States Published Patent Application Number 2010/0031897 (Feb. 11, 2010). Therein Moeller describes a gate device arranged on a collar so that the gate offers a ringed opening perpendicular to the direction of the collar as it rests on the dog's neck. This facilitates coupling the leash, not only because it is separate from the D-ring, which has the I.D. tags, but it arranges about 180-degrees from the D-ring so that the weighted D-ring rotates under the dog's neck, presenting the ringed opening on the back of the dog.
Although the two D-ring collar, as generally known in the art, and the Moeller device solve one problem by providing a separate attaching point for the lease relative to the mounting point for I.D. tags, such structures are more costly than having a single D-ring and add complexity to the collar. It also does not solve the issue of attaching a leash to the accessory attachment by mistake, as both rings appear identical.
Thus, there remains a need for a collar that separates a mounting point for I.D. tags from the coupling point for the leash. Moreover, there remains a need for such a mounting point to use less resources than the double D-ring collars as taught in the art.
Besides the ID tags, a usage situation for dogs is safety. Owners like to make a safer walking situation for their pets at night by attaching battery powered lighting to dog's collars. In a standard dog collar, the D-Ring is secured to the collar in the area closest to the buckle. In many applications, the D-Ring alone is the heaviest point of the collar, thus the D-ring is always under the dog's neck. For safety lighting, this is not a good spot for general visibility. Thus, the need for a smaller accessory loop, weighing less than the leash attachment and buckle is needed. This will assure that the lighting is always on top of the dog and most visible.
Another use of sliders is on backpacks, book bags, messenger bags and the like. Again, the current art uses the slider to adjust a carrying strap. However, often the user of such a bag desires accessories to hang from the exterior of the bag. To facilitate this desire, the current teaching in the art instructs attaching an auxiliary strap with a dedicated D-ring, particularly adapted to hang an accessory. Common accessories include L.E.D. lights, key chains, luggage tags, and whistles, for example.
Examples of the current art of sliders on bags, such as backpacks and messenger bags, include the teaching of Norton in U.S. Pat. No. 4,810,102 issued on Mar. 7, 1989. For example, FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate separate hardware for each individual function. A slider (ref. no. 58) is presented to adjust strap length, the strap attaches to the bag by a clip (ref. no. 60) to a triangular shaped support (ref. no. 44). An accessory is attached to the exterior of the bag by means of loops (ref. no. 38, see also col. 3 lines 15-20).
Separate hardware for each function is also taught by Amram in U.S. Pat. No. 6,460,746 issued on Oct. 8, 2002. Again, the slider (ref. no. 38) is separate from D-rings (i.e. ref. no. 40 and ref. no. 130). The practice is so common, that one need only look at any number of traditional backpacks available for sale in the United States to observe dedicated D-rings on shortened straps having the sole purpose to attach accessories. The functions of closing or securing the bag closed is accomplished by dedicated hardware, which is separate from the accessory straps. And the slider is left to adjust the strap length.
Despite the teaching in the current art, it remains desirable to combine the function of the slider with a D-ring for accessories. One contemplated benefit of such a combination includes more efficient manufacturing of the collar, another advantage would be lighter weight, for example.